The present invention relates generally to network based marketing techniques, and specifically to techniques for managing and analyzing subscriber information in a networked computer environment.
Few could foresee the rapid expansion of direct marketing campaigns just a few years ago. Direct marketers use a variety of marketing techniques to provide information about new products and services to consumers. Direct mail, internet advertising, television, radio, newspaper, and magazine advertising provide channels of communication for product information to consumers. Surveys, purchasing information, transaction information and others provide information about consumer behaviour to the direct marketer. Computers and televisions that now have a place in our homes and offices enable product manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to “take their case directly to the public,” by providing a communications medium with direct access to the consumer. Never before have consumers been offered such a wide variety of choices in the products for their homes, work and recreation.
As computer automation continues to provide an ever increasing access to consumers, marketers have discovered that conventional marketing information methods do not readily scale to the exponential proliferation of information accompanying direct marketing campaigns. For example, results from multiple targeted marketing campaigns must be sorted, assimilated, analyzed and managed on a continuing basis.
Conventional techniques for information management exhibit inefficiencies when applied to the subscription marketing campaign field. For example, conventional techniques are frequently embodied in specialized software, or require custom solutions. Many conventional approaches require the user to learn and use ad hoc queries.
What is really needed are subscription information management techniques designed to meet the needs of subscription marketers.